The present invention relates generally to internal combustion engines and, more particularly, to a flywheel for use therewith.
In both two-cycle and four-cycle engines, a flywheel attached to an end of the crankshaft equalizes operation of the engine between combustion and compression strokes. The momentum absorbed by the flywheel during the combustion stroke is expended during subsequent strokes. Such an orientation smoothes out engine speed and maintains crankshaft momentum between power strokes.
The crankshaft of the engine undergoes torsional loading by both the connecting rods and the flywheel. As the connecting rod of the piston exerts force on the respective throw of the crankshaft, the mass of the flywheel tends to resist such a rotation. After the combustion stroke, the flywheel exerts a rotational moment on the crankshaft in order to facilitate the compression of the combustion gases in the cylinder. If the operating frequency of the engine matches a natural resonant frequency of the crankshaft, violent vibration can occur.
It would therefore be desirable to have a system and method capable of dampening the torsional resonance of an internal combustion engine.